Queer Beacon

Venus (2006) - LightShed 5

Venus is both cute and creepy.  It is cute because the movie shows the life of two aging actors (Peter O'Toole and Leslie Phillips) -- the two have a nice relationship, they even dance together a few times (nothing really gay about that, but I decided to give the movie a LightShed anyway because it is nice for people to see two old guys dancing together). 

The movie is creepy in a Notes on a Scandal way: Peter O'Toole develops this creepy infatuation with a much younger relative of his old friend. 

I loved the performances. Venus is out on DVD.

Vacancy (2007) - No Gay Content

This was actually pretty good (nothing like going into a movie not knowing what to expect, right?)

In Vacancy, Luke Wilson and Kate Beckinsale are bitching and driving when their beemer brakes down in themiddleofnowhereville.  Yikes!  They check into a nearby hotel only to find out that the management uses the guests to shoot real life slasher movies.  Real classy joint, eh? 

The movie is pretty scary, but not as gory as you would expect, you don't really see much actually; but don't get me wrong, that didn't get in the way of my enjoying the movie, quite the opposite.

There was no gay content (well, what would you expect with a cast of, like, 5 people?).  Also bad: no shirtless Luke (you can always get that at Bent).

Watch the trailer.

Volver (2006) - Best Movie of The Year So Far - LightShed 8

Absolutely brilliant.  Penelope Cruz has got to get an Oscar for her role. 

Volver is easily Pedro Almodovar's best movie yet.  And if you had any idea how much I loved his previous movies, you would realize that that is perhaps one of the best compliments on this site.  Volver is the best movie I have seen this year and probably one of the very best movies reviewed here.  It's that good.

You can watch the trailer here but I am not going to say anything about the plot.  I wouldn't do it justice and I think you will love it if you are as surprised as I was with all the culture and eccentricity and craziness and pain that goes on in Volver.  You are guaranteed to cry tears of happiness -- at the beauty of the movie and of the story. 

Be ready to run to the theaters on November 3, when Volver opens in the US.  After the jump I will talk a bit about the gay content of the movie.

[SPOILER AHEAD]

V for Vendetta (2005) - LightShed 10

Excellent movie.  Excellent.  Excellent.  Wow!  The Wachowski Brothers are my heroes now.

The best blow-up movie I have ever seen, and the clearest and easiest case for a LightShed 10 on this website.  I saw it Friday night and I shall remember March 17!  You will not believe the gay content.  Just brilliant.

In the movie, Hugo Weaving's character, V (it's better than Cher, all he needs is one letter), seeks revenge and to overthrow a totalitarian regime.  Yay, right?  He finds a friend, played by Natalie Portman.  The movie gives us a loud wake up call with respect to the seeds, read hatred of certain minorities, being planted in various countries today, particularly in the US, and the ugly tree that may spring out of it.  Basically, the totalitarian regime occurs in future England (at that point the US has already fallen to chaos), and the dictator there, played by John Hurt, instills fear in the population in order to control the country.  The original story was published between 1982 and 1985, but the disastrous government portrayed in the movie seems eerily familiar, doesn't it?  A government playing politics with certain groups in order to remain in control (in the movie, Muslims and Gays are targeted).  And the message of the movie will hit you like a stampede.  If you want to look for one to blame, just look in the mirror.  You must see this movie in a large screen.  Go to an IMAX if you can.

The soundtrack is equally excellent.  We have smooth jazzy tunes, especially Cry me a River and I Found a Reason.  The book for the film (and the original story) also look enticing.  I'll get them.  Watch the trailer if you haven't already.

And you needed to see the audience in the theater.  I went to the big screen here in town (it wasn't on one of the IMAX screens for some reason), and there were tons of straighties.  Just the crowd who needs to see this movie.  Lots of them wearing St. Patrick's Day attire.  John Dunleavy, whom I'll be calling Homophobe No. 1 for a while, must see this movie.

Really well done.  I believe movies like V can help prevent this type of homophobia from happening.  Excellent movie, outstanding gay content.  The movie keeps telling us "Remember, remember the 5th of November."  I'll remember March 17, the day this movie opened.  Really, get out now.  Go see the movie.

As I was saying, our gay content is powerful, and present throughout the movie.  Now, I will talk about much of the gay content of the movie, but I'll be far from revealing the end, but if you like to be in a little bit of suspense for the movie, you may wish to stop reading now.  Continue reading later.